The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) has warned that persistent conflicts within families can create opportunities for criminals involved in human trafficking, particularly targeting children by promising them better living conditions and job opportunities.
The warning was issued by Jean Claude Ntirenganya, the head of the RIB department responsible for crime prevention, during an awareness campaign held in Mururu Sector in Rusizi District, one of the border areas between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Ntirenganya explained that children raised in families experiencing constant disputes are often more vulnerable to traffickers because they may be eager to escape difficult home environments.
“Family conflicts where members are constantly fighting often make it easier for traffickers to manipulate children,” he said. “Sometimes a child even tells those who are deceiving them that there was no peace at home anyway, and that leaving feels like the better option.”
He added that traffickers often take advantage of such situations by convincing children that the places they will be taken to offer good jobs and solutions to their problems.
According to RIB, children growing up in unstable households are more easily lured than those raised in loving and supportive families, even when those families face economic challenges.
A resident of the area who shared testimony said that in the past many people heard about human trafficking but dismissed it as rumors. However, awareness campaigns have helped them realize that the crime is real and affects communities.
During the discussion, a woman also shared a testimony describing how some women and girls who are taken abroad under the promise of employment end up facing severe sexual exploitation and abuse.
Rusizi District Mayor Phanuela Sindayiheba told residents that living near the borders with the DRC and Burundi offers important opportunities for cross-border trade. However, she warned that such opportunities can also be exploited by traffickers if communities are not vigilant.
She urged residents to remain alert and learn how traffickers operate so they can identify and prevent such crimes early.
Sindayiheba also reminded citizens that Rwanda’s Constitution recognizes the dignity and value of every person and clearly states that no individual should be sold or treated as a commodity.
Rusizi District is one of seven districts in Rwanda’s Western Province that share borders with neighboring countries. It borders the Democratic Republic of Congo near the city of Bukavu and Burundi’s Cibitoke Province to the south.
The district covers an area of 940.95 square kilometers and has a population of more than 485,000 residents living in 18 sectors. It also includes Rusizi City, one of the six secondary cities designated to support Kigali’s urban development.
RIB announced that its nationwide awareness campaign on human trafficking and other crimes will continue in Bugesera District.
